When you hear the name of the famous Danish LEGO toy company, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? A successful brand, SYSTEM (system), good brand image, wide and huge variety of products... All this is part of LEGO's solid value as a brand.
But, even a successful company like LEGO has its moments of failure and strange products that you wouldn't think were made by them. Today, join us and take a look back at LEGO's history to take a look at some of their unusual products that are sure to raise your eyebrows!
LEGO in the Early 2000s: A Time of Weird Experimentation
do you know LEGO went through a crisis in the early 2000s. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the growing video games industry attracted the attention of young people. To recapture the interest of children, LEGO launched a variety of products—including unusual designs such as GALIDOR, Jack Stone, and the more popular BIONICLE series. Some of these, however, are considered the "worst products" in LEGO history. Let's see why.
GALIDOR (2002)
One of LEGO's most controversial products is the GALIDOR series. It was created based on a sci-fi TV series Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, created by Thomas W. Lynch and LEGO Group. Despite its ambitious idea, GALIDOR is often regarded as "the dark side of LEGO history."
In the series, the main character Nick Bluetooth (yes, his name is really "Bluetooth") has the ability to call "Glinch" to fuse his body with alien or machine parts. LEGO tried to replicate this concept in their toy—every part of the toy's body can be removed and replaced. But here's the problem: GALIDOR pieces are not compatible with traditional LEGO bricks. Furthermore, GALIDOR was designed as an action figure with articulated joints, but loyal LEGO fans disliked it due to the unique appearance and limited abilities of the pieces.
Product Images:
- Nick Bluetooth: The toy allows you to remove all of Nick's body parts and replace them with other pieces—pretty scary for kids!
- Deluxe Version: More detailed but still "weird" looking.
Due to its low compatibility and its difficult to use to build other things, GALIDOR was not successful in the market. Moreover, the TV series was also not popular so it did not increase the value of the product.
Jack Stone (2001–2003)
The Jack Stone series is an experiment by LEGO to bring a superhero theme to their city sets. With the theme of rescue and crime solving, it had sets like fire trucks, police chases, and rescue missions. Although it looked promising, this series was also not successful.
What is most different about Jack Stone are the character minifigures that are larger than standard LEGO minifigures. The head, body, and leg parts of the character cannot be removed either. Because of this, its use seems limited compared to traditional LEGO figures. There are also various merchandise such as toothbrushes and animated videos, but they did not last long in the market.
Highlight:
The Super Glider (4612) set is often viewed as one of the "worst LEGO sets" due to its simple design and having a paper glider that breaks easily.
BIONICLE (2001–2010, 2015–2016)
BIONICLE, although it is also a departure from the traditional LEGO aesthetic, has become very popular. It featured action figures with great storylines and detailed lore. It introduces six elemental warriors (Toa) who have special masks to increase their power. Kids loved it because of its deep story and the breadth of the franchise—from games, comics, to movies.
First Products:
- Tahu (Toa of Fire) and Lewa (Toa of Air): Two of the most popular characters from the first wave of BIONICLE.
BIONICLE became a huge success and helped LEGO recover from its crisis in the 2000s. It's proof that with good storytelling and good design, it can be successful even if it doesn't look like "typical" LEGO.
Lessons From Strange LEGO
The history of LEGO is a good example that even successful companies have to try and fail sometimes. GALIDOR and Jack Stone are proof that not all experiments succeed, but the success of BIONICLE shows how the right combination of creativity and storytelling can bring success.
What's your favorite quirky LEGO set? Share your opinion with us!
